UTIA Announces New Dean for AgResearch

The University of Tennesee Institute of Agriculture has named Hongwei Xin, currently assistant dean for research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University, as UTIA’s new dean for AgResearch. Xin will begin his new role in May 2019, after the conclusion of the current academic year.

Suzanne Lenhart, professor of mathematics, was honored with the 2017 SEC Faculty Achievement Award, the SEC announced this week. Lenhart is a passionate advocate for women and other underrepresented groups in STEM fields. The SEC award recognizes professors from the 14 Southeastern Conference schools who have outstanding records in teaching and scholarship.

UT, sophomore Blaine Ziegler and freshman Emma Sopcak were awarded $5,000 scholarships from the Today show and PurePoint Financial as part of the Rokerthon 3, weatherman Al Roker’s journey to five universities across the US to set world records.

UT researcher Devon Burr, associate professor of earth and planetary sciences, co-authored a paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience describing the surface of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Turns out that the grains covering the surface act like clingy packing peanuts—they become electrically charged and cause particles to stick to them.